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The best horses of this year never raced at two!

By: Rolf Johnson   September 26 , 2022
   

Neither Baaeed in Britain nor Flightline in the USA, the best two racehorses in the world, raced at two. They probably are the best BECAUSE they did not race at two: Baaeed`s delay was dictated by his trainer William Haggas`s patience while Flightline tried his trainer John Sadler`s patience with a succession of minor mishaps.

There may not be another Baaeed lurking in some Newmarket ‘kindergarten` – such horses come along about once a decade (Frankel retired in 2012). But Haggas`s Somerville Lodge stable was notable by its absence from the five Group races for juveniles on Newmarket`s Rowley Mile at the autumn meeting. The season`s leading trainer will not be rushed.

The scene was set therefore for a typical day, on the third Saturday in September, of Group level clashes between Coolmore and Godolphin with the rest making up numbers – except there was an early indication, from the Curragh, that not everything was pre-ordained when Coolmore were beaten for the first time in a decade (!) in the Group 3 Beresford Stakes.

The winner there, Crypto Force, had been down the field in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot – as had The Foxes, one of just four runners for the opening Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Group 2) at Newmarket. The outsider of the quartet was Dubai Mile, trainer Mark Johnston`s five thousandth winner, at Kempton last month. Andrew Balding`s The Foxes was only third in the betting to the long odds-on Godolphin colt Flying Honours, with Coolmore`s Greenland second favourite.

The race was a late dash with The Foxes upsetting the odds. The Foxes is the nickname of Leicester City F C whose Thai owners have invested heavily in racing. They may need to invest even more in their football club which are at the bottom of the league.

Andrew Balding suggested post-race that that would likely be it for the year for The Foxes.

Then the first Group 1 on the card the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes was in many ways a mirror of the first race, this time Coolmore`s Mediate the strong favourite and Godolphin`s Mawj the apparent challenger.

When the vociferous chairman of the National Trainers Federation Ralph Beckett says “Don`t get me started” that means he already has. He has one appeal pending – against demotion in St Leger – and he was quick to point out after Lezoo landed the Cheveley Park that he should have got the Cherry Hinton too, his filly`s only defeat, in the stewards` room. But Beckett`s horses do the talking for him. Too strong for Meditate and this time clear of Mawj (who had interfered with Lezoo in the Cherry Hinton) his filly has a classic stamp.

Saddling his third Group 1 this season Beckett said: “Lezoo doesn`t show up at home but once on the track she is very very good.” The trainer emphasized the point – as emphatically as ever!

The centrepiece of the day, the Juddmonte Middle Park (Group 1) pitted Coolmore`s Blackbeard against Godolphin`s Mischief Magic but with another possible twist. Karl Burke`s northern-trained Marshman vaulted both as favourite.

Few and far between are the days when Coolmore`s arsenal fires complete duds and Blackbeard put the smiles back on the faces of the numerically strong Irish entourage. They crowded the winner`s area spilling over to the second`s spot as their The Antarctic finished a strong second.

William Buick, well on his way to his first jockey`s title, when asked beforehand whether Godolphin`s Mischief Magic was up to the job said, “We`ll find out in a few minutes.”

The answer was a resounding no.

This Middle Park success was Blackbeard`s seventh outing and his second Group 1 success after the Prix Morny in Deauville. It was the second time he had beaten The Antarctic by similar margins, the first being in the Prix Robert Papin (Group 2) in July.

Blackbeard is by No Nay Never (as is Meditate) and the stallion is carrying much of the responsibility of anointed successor to Galileo.

“Don`t disagree with him!” said Aidan O`Brien, mindful of Blackbeard`s tendency to ‘take control` of whatever territory he happens to be commanding

“There`s no malice in him,” insisted the mercurial trainer, while keeping one eye on his strong-minded colt wheeling around the winner`s enclosure.

Whoever named him for the renowned sea pirate knew what they were doing, and Blackbeard should be a contender for the top sprints next season.

When asked whether he was as confident about next year`s Classic hopefuls as is normally the case (mindful of the Beresford defeat but having undoubtedly ticked off that this was his seventh Middle Park success) O`Brien`s typically sardonic reply was, “We`re happy with what we`ve got.”

The forthcoming Dewhurst Stakes and the Doncaster Futurity will be the test of that assertion insofar as the Derby is concerned. O`Brien`s August Rodin is the current market leader for both.

 
 
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